Fish-scaling machine



April 1929. .E. A. GALLISON FISH SCALING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1928 April E. A. GALLISON FISH SCALING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1928 v '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I April 1929. E. A. GALLISOYN 1,709,909

FISH SCALING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 3 images-- ENYT oFF- c nmrn'scr A G'AnLIso v, on wrmf m a, Mass roHUsEr'rs'; Assieaon To BAY smea risnme COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

FISH- SCALING MACHiNE;

A pp'lication filed May 24,

This invention relates to a machine for move the scales, and to emit the fish at aconvenient point for further cutting or packing operations. I v

The removal of scales fromfish by mechanical means presents considerable difficulty', particularly when there is any substa-ntial variation in the size of the fish. is necessary to arrange means to permit the yieldable engagement of the scale removing factor or factors with the fish body,'said factors necessarily being arranged to have a sufficiently effective engagement. with. the fish to remove its scales while avoiding the cutting or tearing of its skinor the bruising of its flesh. Since it is necessary for the scale-removing factor or factors to conform to the curved surface of the fish body and to the irregular shape of the same, it appears essential to make these factors somewhat yieldable and at the same time toavoid too great harshness of action when the yieldable portions of the scale-removing factor are engaged by the largest portion of the fish body. further enhanced when successive fish vary considerably in size. The present invention is eesigned to obviate these ditlicultiesand to a large extent comprises an improvement up-.

on my earlier machine disclosed in copending I application No. 169,623, filed February 19',

The improved machine disclosed herein may include scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, the movement of which. from their normally distended position is not opposed with a progressively increasing re tanc'e; thus too harsh an action upon the fisn'is avoided. particularly z'idapte'd to make useof means wherebyfish of varying sizes may be effectively acted upon by the scale-removing fac tors the action u )on fish with com oarativcl large bodies not being substantially more harsh than upon the fish having bodies of ordinary size. To this end the present machine is provided with conveyor mechanism designed to drag one side of the fish body over a scale-removing factor or factors and to turn the body over to the other side thereof over a scale-removing factor or factors. Thus the fish body is adapted auto- The difficulties .of. this problem are This machine is 1928'. serial No. asa zso'.

matically to locate itself and to flatten itself somewhat in relation to theflscaleremoving spills and may have a limited lateral to remove the scales from substantially all portions of the fish at acomparatively rapid rate and without injury to the fish body it self,at the same time being efiicient and effective in'operation and requiring the minimum of attention upon the part of the oper-\ ator.

In the drawings:- J Fig. 1. 1s a side elevational view of the mproved fish-scal ng niachinewith the drivmg means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same;, I

removing brush; p e Fig. 51s an elevational v ew of a portion of a scale-removing brush;

Fig. tisan elevational detail of a scale- Fig. 6 is a view of on'e of the brush spills and Fig. is a top plan of a member to detach the fish from a clamp,

-A-machine ofv the type disclosed in the accompanying drawings vided with a supporting frame' l whiclrmay conveniently be of standardized meta-l members to provide an upper platform 2 and longitudinal frame members 3 below the platform 2 andi extending outward beyond one end of the same for purposes which will hereinafter be described. ,This frame is provided with suitable brackets and hangers for supporting the various component elements and factors of the machine. p

Conveyor means isprovide'd to draw the fish past the scale-removing. elements or brushes and comprises a pair of parallel endless chains 10 which havesubstantially her; izontal runs between sprockets 11 and 12. Those chains are driven from a motor 13 by any suitable driving means such as chain 14 1 1g. 3 is a section online 3 3"0' Fig. 1;

preferably is proand sprocket 16; and both chains move at the same speed, the sprockets 12, and the drive sprocket 16 being keyed to a common shaft 18., Chains are spaced apart an ap ro-' priate distance to support a plurality offishengagin 'g clamps or grippers 15.

Each of the clamps comprisesa;lower;

portion 20 having its ends secured to the chains 10 and having a body portion bridging the distance therebetween, Fig. 3. The intermediate portion of ably depressed and arranged to interfit with prongs 32'which arecarriedupon the upper .clamp member 21 that is pivotally mounted 52 which may be supported in any conven1- ent manner upon-frame 1'. This guide is shown more particularly inF-ig. 1 and provides an edge to engage rollers 25 upon successive clamps 15, thus opening the clamps to "the greatest degree -when they arrive at'a point adjoining the feed table 140. The tail of a fish hanging over a clamp at this point is then suddenly engaged by the closing of the clamp as the roller 25 leaves the guide element 52 and the spring 23' causes the member 21 with its prongsi32 to penetrate the fish which will be gripped between members 21 and 20.

The longitudinal guidestrip 190 is disposed adjoining the upper run of chain 10 to have an edge closely paralleling the path of the rollers 25 so that accidental opening of the clamps is avoided. A downwardly extcndingend portion 191 of th1s guide strip terminates beneath 'the end of the guide "member 52 and is adapted to cause positive closing of the clamps,-1f the springs 25 should for any reason fail to function.

The feed table 140 and guard 143 are located upon the longitudinal extension of the frame 1 which is provided by members 3. Feed table 1&0 rece1ves fish which are fed tail foremost in the direction of the scale-removing elements and is preferably provided with a box-like upward extension or guard l l3substantially to enclose the clamps 15 untilthey arrive at their fully opened position where they engage the tail of a fish. This guard serves to protect the hands of the operator and toprevent the fish engaging a partially opened clamp.

Clamps 15 will drag the fish over scaleremovin elements 63 and 6 i, and and 66.

this clamp is preferchains 10 as shown.

the plate 78 preferably The brushes or scale-removing factors 63 and 64 are arranged so that, when rotating at. high speed, their upper portions are substantially on, a level with the upper runs of conveyor chains 10. The lowerscale-remov ing factors 65 and '66 may be disposed'upon opposite ends of a suitable arm 7 0,,the inter mediate portion of which is secured upon an upright of frame 1, members 65 and 66 having their upper portions similarly arranged in relation to the lower runs of The scale-removing elements may preferably be in the formof brushes one of which is shown more par ticularly in Fig. 4. Brush 63, for example. may preferably be of the general type disclosed inthe copending application of Raymond C. Mudge and Ernest A. Gallison No 169,607, filed on February 19,1927. Th brush is preferably provided with spills 110,

which may conveniently comprise 'metal strips or wires, that are bent so that their ends are outstanding. One or both of these wire ends may behooked, as indicated at 111, Figs. 41 and'6. The intermediate portion of each wire spill preferably comprises a loop 114 turned about the outstanding portions, these loops are spaced by washers 115 and are mounted on support bars 112 upon the rotatable brush frame. Thus the wire ends are normally thr wn outwardly under the action of centrifugal force.

lVhen the brush frame is rotated, centrifugal force tends to throw the spill portions outwardly whereby the ends of the spills are yieldably cast against the surface of the fish. The hooked end portions of the spills and the yieldable mounting of the same are important features of the brush which permit more effective cleaning of scales from the fish. p

The longitudinally disposed bars 73 are adapted to form supports for the chain portions extending between'the brushes. Adjustable connecting elements between these bars a so support plates 17 6 which are adapted to hold fish at a pr per level as they pass to the scale-removing elements 68 and 64. Beyondthe second brush 6% I provide a downwardly sloping plate 78 ar ranged to support the i'ish bodyes it leaves second scale-removing factor. This terminates adjoining the shaft 18 which connects sprockets 12, Fig. 2. From an inspectionof thisfigure it will be evident that the plates 176 and 7 8 are arranged slightly below the highest portionof the scale-removing brushes as the location of this portion is determined by the rotation of the brushes at high speed during normal operation of the device. Accordingly, the

fish body tends to lift and flex upwardly somewhat when passing over the scaleremoving factor, thus having various portions of its curved surface passed into engagement with the ends of the rapidly moving spills so that the scales are effectively removed from one side of each fish ,body, although these bodies may vary considerably in size and/or shape. Spaced outwardly beyond sprockets 12 is acurved guide plate 80 which is adapted to engage the fish body as the clamps swing over and turn the fish upside down.

The fish body is engaged by the plate 80 which is so curved as to direct it upon an adjustable, horizontal guide plate 81 arranged in substantially the same relation to the scale-removing factor 65 as the plates 176 are arrangedin relation to the upper set of brushes.

A similar guide plate 83 is arranged between brushes 65 and 66 and another adjustable supporting plate 84, is arranged beyond the last-named brush; suitable supporting brackets 87 support'these various plates adjoining the lower runs of chains 10. A pair of longitudinally disposed supporting members 88 adjointhe lower runs avoid accidental disengagement of the fish body from its normal position in relation to the conveyor means. Member 52 is arranged adjoining the sprockets 11 with its edge portion so disposed that it will engage the rollers 25 upon each of the "clamps 15 in order to press these rollers inwardly toward the center of the sprockets to swing each clamp member 21 away from the member 20, to open the clamp and to release the fish tail.

A suitable frame 121 supports a plate 98 that has converging edge portions that are provided with a plurality of teeth. or prongs 99, these edgeportions being arranged to catch the fish body as the clamps open and to insure the movement of the body out of engagement with the prongs 32 upon the clamps, the prongs 99, however, being so short that they serve merely to catch the fish and do not support the same. A suitable downwardly extending chute 100 is arranged below the member 98. and may direct the scaled fish downwardly through an opening 101 to a lower floor'where subsequent'dressing and packing operations may take place.

While the conveyor mechanism compris 'ing the chains and clamps 'may be driven fromthe same source of power which also drives the scale-removing elements, these different PHItS Of the machine preferably are driven from separate sources of power. on account of substantially higher speed of the scale-removing brushesz The brushes are preferably driven. ,by a

motor 8 1 through a chain 85 that drives a .pur gear 86, the latter meshingwit-h a gear 87 concentrically mounted upon the axle of brush 64. This axle'also carriesasprocket that drives a chain 92 engaging a sprocket upon the axle of brush 63. Rotatably,

mounted upon the same shaft as sprocket 86 is a second sprocket 94 which is adapted to drive a chain engaging a sprocket upon the same shai't as brush 66. A second sprocket upon this shaft drives a chain 103 which in turn operates the scale-removing tactor 65.

reduction gear mechanism 126, chain 14 engaging the sprocket 16 which is keyed to disclosed in myiabove-identified copen dingc application, with their tails hanging over the edge of'the same in a position to be grasped and penetrated by clamps 15 which close thereondue to the arrangement of springs. 23 and guide element -52,"the

depressed extension "191 of guide strip 190 positively insuring. substantial closing of the clamps. The fish is then drawn by the clamps over plates 17 6 and over successive scale-removing elements and 6 1." The fish is'thereuponcarried to a position where the body thereof swung'over intoengagement with the cur ed plate 80, the fish body thus being turned over and its unsealed side passed over plate 81, scale-ren1oving factor 65, plate 83, scale-removing factor 66 and plate 84: in succession. As the scaled fish approaches the sprockets 11 the .clamp is opened byguide member 52 and a portion of the fish b'ody'adjoining the'tail is engaged by the member 99 whiclncooperating with the weight of the larger'port ion' of the body, lifts the tail portion outoi "engagement with the prongs 32 upon clamps The sprockets 12 for the con-' veyor mechanism are driven by a suitable ,mot-or 13 enclosed, if desired, in housingl and driving a chain 1 1 through a suitable,

lit)

15 so that-the fish is released and passes.

downwardly to chute 100. 1 7

It is evident that fish bodies of various sizes and accordingly of various weights are adapted" to depress the scale-removing spills to difierent degrees; these spills being.

ieldabl ur ed outward under the action of the centrifugal force, however,'do not provide progresslvely increasing resistance to this action. Thus undue harshness of these 7 tea of the fish flesh, Whiie the yieldability of these bodies permits their surfaces in engagement with the brushes to be some What flattened, thereby aiding the removal of scales. i V

Preferably the brushes rotate in the direc tion indicated by thedot and dash arrows of Fig. 2-, i. e., in a direction such that the portions thereof Which engage the fish are moving opposite to the direction of movement of the fish and their yieldably mounted spills permit the brushes to conform to the shape of the body of each fish as it passes between them.

I claim:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a conveyormechanism and a plurality of scale-removing'factors, said conveyor n'ieehanism being arranged to drag a fish past a-scale-removing factor so that scales removed from one side thereof, to turn the, fish over and to drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side of the fish.

2. A machine of the class described comp ising a conveyor mechanism and a plurality of scale-removing factors, said conveyor mechanism comprising endless flexible meansand being movable about a continuous cireuit,said mechanism being designed to drag- 'afish past a scale-rcn'iovlng factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, to turn the over and to drag the opposite side ofthe'fish past another scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side of the fish. s

A machine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism and a plurality of scale-removing factors, said conveyor mechanism comprising endless flexible means and being movable about a continuous circuit, said mechanism being designed to drag a fish past a scaleremoving factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, to turn the fish over and to drag the opposite side of the fish past another scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the oppoisite sideof the fish, and ,means associated with the flexible means to engage a fish and carry it substantially, about one continuous circuit. i

f. A n'iachine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably Vmounted spills, said conveyormechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supports and having upper and lower substantiallyhorizontal runs therebetvveen, a clamp upon the flexible member,

comprising an endless flexible member mov- I able about supports and having upper and lower runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible in-e1nbcr,-and scale-removing factors adjoining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member, whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scaleremoving factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof,

and sun aortin lates ad'oinin the scale L r; x 2-1 removing factors to'define the path of the fish.

6. Aniachine of the class described com prising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supports and having upper and. lower runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible membeiyand scale-removing factors adjoining both the upper and lower runsv ofthe flexible, member, whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scale-removing factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and dragthe opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof,' and a said guide being arranged to engage a fish body as it is bein turned over. i

7. A machine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless fiexiblemember movable about supports and having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible member,

and scale-removing factors adjoining-both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member, whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scale-removing fa es tor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag curved guide adjoining one of the supports,v

the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof, supporting plates adjoining the scale-removing factors to define thepath of the fish, and a curved guide adjoining one of the supports, said guidebeing arranged to engage a fish body as it- 'is turned over.

8. A machine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supports and having upper and lower horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible member, and scale-remov ing factors adjoining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member, whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish,

past a scale-removing factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, andthen turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side of scale-removing factors having yieldably.

mounted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supports and'having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible member, and scale-removing factors adjoining both the upper' and lower runs of the flexible member whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scale-removing factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof, a curved guide adjoining one of the supports, said guide being arranged to engage a fish body as it is turned over, and a plate inclined downwardly from an upper scale-removing factor to direct the fish to thecuved guide.

10. A machine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably m0unted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supports and having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible member, and scale-removing factors adjoining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scale-removing factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof, and means properly to position the upper and lowerruns in relation tothe scale-removing factors.

11. A machine of the class'described comprising aconveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably the upper and lower runs of the flexible mei'nberwhereby the conveyor mechanism torso that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite sid'eof thevfish past a'scale-' removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof, said clamps havmg pronged portions to engage the fish, the

' may drag a fishpast a scale-removing fa'cprongs being arranged so that the fish. rests thereon after having the scales removed from both sides, means toopen the clamp to release the fish,-and means to lift the fish from theprongs. V I v i 12. A machine of the class described comprising a conveyor mechanism, a plurality of scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, said conveyor mechanism comprising an endless flexible member movable about supportsv and having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexible member, and scale-removing factors adjoining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible -member whereby the conveyor mechanism maydrag a fish past a scale-removing factor so that scales areremoved from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the op- 7 posite side of the fish past a scale-removing 7 factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof, and guide means to open joining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag 'a fishy past a scale removing factor so that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove 6 reteaece the scales from the opposite side thereof,

guide means to open the clamp a single timev in each circuit, and means to maintain the clamp closed itClJOlIllDg both the upper and lower runs of the flexible memher. 7 o

14. A machine of the class described comprising a 'conveyor mechanism, a plu rality of scale-removing factors having yieldably mounted spills, said conveyor nechanism comprisingan endless flexible member movable about supports and having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs therebetween, a clamp upon the flexile member, and a scale-removing factor adjoining both the upper and lower runs of the flexible member whereby the conveyor mechanism may drag a fish past a scale-1e moving factorso that scales are removed from one side thereof, and then turn the fish over and drag the opposite side of the fish past a scale-removing factor to remove the scales from the opposite side thereof,

said

scale-removing factors comprising brushes arranged to have their peripheral portions movable in a direction counter to that of the nearest portion of the flexible member.

side thereof, to turn the fish over and to drag the opposite side of the fish past another seale-removlng factor to remove the scales from the opposite side of the fish,

means associated with the flexible means to engage a fish and carry it substantially about one continuous circuit, means to guide the runs of the flexible means adjoining the scale-removing factors, SZUClfflCtOlS lncluding spills thrown outwardly by centrifugal force so that the path of the intersects a portion of their circular-path. v Signed by me at East Boston, Massa chusetts, this 5th day of May, 1928.

ERNEST A. GALLISON. 

